1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to heavy duty industrial vacuum devices for collection of dry particulate waste, and in particular to a heavy duty vacuum device suitable for collecting fibrous waste material and packing the material into a compact bale.
2. Background of the Invention
Industrial vacuums have been developed for collecting waste material including dust, sand, and other substances of varying particulate size and weight. Many of these vacuums separate the waste material from an air stream wherein particles are deposited in a hopper and the air stream is then filtered by a filter, such as a bag filter or a drum filter. The separation process is accomplished by creating an airflow that propels the waste material through a sealed unit that has a hopper and a filter. The heaver particles gather in the hopper because the velocity of the airflow is reduced as it enters the hopper to a level that can no longer propel the heavier particles. Any small particles carried by the air flow are then trapped by the filter.
In collecting waste material containing a large amount of fibrous material, such as fiberglass, the fiberous material is often not deposited in the hopper because the airflow is sufficient to pass the light fibrous material through the hopper toward the filter. Moreover, as the fiberous material gathers at the filter, the air flow through the unit provided by the vacuum source is proportionately reduced because the fibrous material causes blockage of the airflow through the filter.
One example of fiberous material collection being consistently problematic is that of collecting fiberglass waste product during the manufacture of fiberglass insulation. Because the fiberglass is drawn by vacuum into an industrial vacuum assembly and then easily passes beyond the hopper in the air stream in the vacuum assembly, much of the fiberglass is trapped tightly against the filter. The result is that very little of the fiberglass is collected in the hopper and is instead packed against the filter, thereby causing increased resistance of the air stream through the filter and requiring cleaning or replacement of the filter. In the case of disposable filters being used in the vacuum assembly, there is great expense in repeatedly changing the filters. Also, it is often more difficult to gain access to the filter to dispose of the fiberglass than to simply empty the hopper.
Hence, prior to the present invention, a need existed for a vacuum that provided a constant airflow for collecting fibrous material and depositing the material into a large hopper that is easily emptied and to avoid the problems associated with collecting the fiberous material on the filter.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an industrial vacuum assembly for handling fiber-laden particulate material that includes a hopper having an opening and in fluid communication with a material inlet pipe and a powerhead assembly in fluid communication with the hopper. The assembly has a vacuum source assembly and a filter means, the vacuum source being adapted to cause an air stream through the vacuum assembly in an air stream path. A vented partition is positioned between the hopper and the filter in the stream path, the partition having a plurality of apertures and being adapted to restrict fiberous material from passing through the partition to thereby collect the fiberous material in the hopper.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide an industrial vacuum for handling fiber-laden particulate material that includes a bin-type hopper with a powerhead mounted over the hopper and a planar partition mounted between the hopper and the powerhead. The partition has a plurality of apertures for disrupting the airflow within the hopper, the apertures having insufficient margin for allowing fibers to pass through the partition such that the disrupted airflow within the hopper results in fiber-laden particulate material becoming entangled together and forming a compact bale within the hopper.
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, reference being made to the following drawings.